The only constant in life ...

As Greek philosopher Heraclitus said many years ago, the only constant in life is change. He didn't know the half of it.

Everywhere you look these days, the pace of life's evolution is increasing. When it comes to work, the speed at which it's happening seems even greater.

Consider the technologies you use everyday. The internet is only 25 years old. Smartphones appeared just seven years ago with the arrival of the first iPhone. Skype and other internet-based services have only been in widespread business use for about six years. The list goes on.

When you ponder disruptive mega-trends such as cloud computing, the pace cranks up another notch. Just a few years ago it was unthinkable that large organisations would entrust core systems and data to external, 'cloud-based' virtual servers. Today it's quickly becoming commonplace.

Another work-related mega-trend is 3D printing, poised to change everything from manufacturing jobs to entire supply chains. Creating cute plastic toys is one thing, but when this industry really gets going, many people's lives will be changed forever.

A third rapidly developing trend is the Internet of Things. Like 3D printing, this one's only just started having an impact on the world of work. When millions of devices and software programs are constantly 'talking', your work day is going to be very different.

While on the topic of change, it's also happening here at Hydrapinion. After more than seven years of sharing opinions on technology-related trends and issues, the team has decided to hang up the 'closed' sign and head for pastures new. This week's series of posts will be our last at this location.

It's been great having a place to discuss work related topics. I've enjoyed it all and hope you've found some value in reading along.

But now, it's time for a change. As that wise old bloke Heraclitus pointed out, it really is the only constant.

Trust: an increasingly important factor in the digital business world

Do you trust the companies you deal with on a daily basis? What would it take for them to lose that trust?

These questions are increasingly being asked by people as businesses embrace emerging digital technology. These businesses must realise that, while such tools might help them, they must also be cool with customers.

A great current example is location awareness. In growing numbers of places (think shopping malls and airports), people are being tracked thanks to the smartphone in their pocket.

Using increasingly ubiquitous WiFi networks, businesses can know where people are, how long they've been there and whether they've been there before. If people actually log into those networks, the information being collected can be even more individualised.

Even when you're aware of this happening, it can be an easy thing to forget. For example, if you're a Google user and have opted into location tracking, the search giant is collecting details of every move you make. Check it out for yourself by going into your account settings. You'll find a map on which is plotted everywhere you've been since you opted into the service.

While I'm happy for this to happen because it results in better services for me, it does make you wonder how far things need to go before that comfortable feeling might disappear.

How much information are you comfortable with companies collecting about you?

The basics of backup

In the rapidly evolving world of technology, it's sometimes easy to forget the basics.

While everyone tends to focus on the 'next big thing' and how it might help our business and personal lives, it's worth not forgetting some tried and tested rules ... like backups.

I am constantly amazed by the number of small businesses that don't have an effective data backup regime in place. While virtually all recognise the critical importance of data to their daily operations, many adopt a head-in-the-sand approach when it comes to its protection.

One of the biggest mistakes is not having an off-site backup system in place. It's all very well to copy your critical customer files from office PCs and mobile devices to a central server or NAS drive, but if they're all in the same physical location you're not effectively covered.

With the price of cloud-based storage resources continuing to fall, there's no excuse for not having important data backed up off-site. If a fire, flood or break-in causes the loss of data in the office, you'll still have your critical files available.

Choose from one of the growing number of cloud storage providers today and start an off-site backup process. You'll be thankful in the long run.

Putting the 'Internet of Things' to work

It's the latest buzz phrase in an industry that excels at buzz phrase creation, but that doesn't mean the Internet of Things won't deliver big benefits.

It's defined in different ways depending on who you ask, but the IoT is essentially all about machines and devices talking to each other.

While the early days of the internet were all about human-to-human connections, this is now changing. Indeed, within a few short years, the amount of data caused by people contacting people will be dwarfed by the amount generated by machines talking to other machines.

Now it's easy to think that this trend - while interesting - won't have much impact on your workplace. Think again.

How many instances can you think of where, machine-to-machine connections would streamline workflows and lower costs?

Current examples include copiers that alert service companies when they have broken down, and monitoring systems that automatically call for assistance when an unexpected event occurs.

Other include automated delivery vehicles, self-healing computer systems and proactive devices that offer you information before you even know you needed it.

Look around your office. How different will your working day be when all the devices you can see are able to talk to each other?

Ian Grayson has been a technology journalist for more than 15 years. A former IT editor of The Australian newspaper, he now runs his own freelance business, crafting stories for a range of publications and web sites. He is intrigued by the power that technology wields in the world of work - both for better and for worse - and in this blog offers insights into what it all might mean.Read more WORK